Orchestras, concert houses and at least all classical music institutions are faced with challenges. There are many ways and discussions on the way how to rethink the ritual of orchestral perfomance. Join the newly founded Maastricht Centre for the Innovation of Classical Music for its first ever workshop on 29-30 March 2019. I’ll be there, too.
Find more information here: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/events/rehearsing-orchestral-innovation
Orchestra ads do sometimes look homemade. However, this one from San Diego Symphony for the 2018-19 season is really smart!
The Classical:NEXT 19 Call for Programme Proposals is already well underway!
Classical:NEXT
If you want to perform as a showcase artist in a concert hall or a club-style atmosphere to over 1,300 art-music professionals representing 750 companies, share your knowledge as a conference speaker, or expert mentor or submit your project pitches for the next edition of the expo, you can apply by proposing via the website: www.classicalnext.org
Remeber: deadline is Friday, 28 September 2018.
Study Finds Growth in Number of EdCE Program Participants, Diversity of Participants, School and Community Partnerships, and More. Almost Two Thirds of Participants Took Part in EdCE Programming Free of Charge, and 85% of all EdCE Sessions Took Place Outside of the Concert Hall.
Orchestras: relevant to kids & people & coummunity
New York, NY (August 15, 2017) – For the first time, the League of American Orchestras has issued a detailed report on the scope and scale of orchestras’ education and community engagement (EdCE) work.
Of and For the Community examines the purpose and scope of these activities, reporting on topics including EdCE programming, participant diversity, community partnerships, investments in professional development, and income and expenditure for EdCE concerts and events. While the League last surveyed member orchestras on EdCE programming in 2008, the report is the first to investigate current field interests such as diversification of orchestra EdCE programming and artistic costs associated with this work.
Orchestras reported growth over the period 2009-14 on each of the following measures:
Almost two thirds of participants took part in EdCE programming free of charge, and 85% of all EdCE sessions took place outside of the concert hall.
“More than ever before, education and community engagement programming is central to orchestras’ organizational visions, as they actively seek out new opportunities for creative expression and connection,” said League of American Orchestras President and CEO Jesse Rosen. “The League has been a catalyst for addressing this profound shift in our field’s focus, and we’re seeing increases in the scope of this work and a greater acknowledgement of its importance.”
Making use of the League’s field-wide data and drawing on a dedicated survey of League of American Orchestras’ member orchestras, the study looks at both the current landscape and longitudinal trends from the five-year period between 2009 and 2014. The 98 survey respondents included adult orchestras with and without affiliated youth orchestras, as well as independent youth orchestras. U.S. orchestras of all sizes from across the country took part.
Key findings from Of and For the Community:
82% of orchestras surveyed stated that the number of EdCE participants in their programs had increased over the five-year period 2009-2014.
70% of all EdCE participants were believed to be 18 years old or younger.
61% of orchestras reported that their EdCE participant base was more diverse in 2014 than it had been in 2009.
38% of EdCE participants were believed to be African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 62% were believed to be white.
69% of survey respondents confidently reported a greater range of program types in 2014 than in 2009.
Almost half of the survey cohort reported that the number of EdCE concerts they performed had increased during the five-year period 2009-2014.
Two thirds of all responding orchestras reported that the extent of their partnership work had increased during the five-year period 2009-14.
79% of orchestras surveyed reported working with schools.
63% reported working with community (non-school) partner organizations.
34% had worked with (non-school) community partners focused on youth engagement.
26% had worked with health and wellness organizations.
24% had worked with senior services providers.
17% had worked with organizations focused on racial diversity and inclusion.
13% had partnered with organizations working to address poverty in their communities.
Orchestras also reported having worked with organizations dedicated to homelessness (10%), mental health (8.2%), domestic violence and abuse (4.1%), criminal justice (3.1%), bullying (3.1%), young people in the foster care system (3.1%), and school drop outs (3.1%).
Almost half (47%) of the 85 orchestras in our cohort of adult orchestras (and their affiliated youth orchestras) stated definitively that the budget available for EdCE programming increased in the period 2009-14, relative to their overall budget.
Almost two thirds of participants took part in EdCE programming free of charge.
85% of all EdCE sessions (incorporating both concerts and other musical activities and events) took place outside of the concert hall.
83% of orchestras surveyed offer the opportunity to meet musicians and/or explore orchestral instruments.
Over 80% offer performances by smaller professional groups of orchestral musicians, which enables this work to take place in a wider range of community venues.
73% offer in-person lectures or talks.
73% of community-based EdCE sessions took place in schools.
68% of orchestras surveyed present family or school concerts, making the unique cultural experience of the full symphony orchestra welcoming and accessible to a large community audience.
61%* offer the opportunity for amateur musicians to rehearse and perform alongside orchestra musicians (*percentage does not include independent youth orchestras).
51%* offer individual instrumental instruction (*percentage does not include independent youth orchestras).
34%* run a community orchestra for adults, and 30%* run an adult community choir (*percentages do not include independent youth orchestras).
27% of community-based EdCE sessions took place in non-school venues including:
Download Of and For the Community: The Education and Community Engagement Work of Orchestras here.
This report was made possible by the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Why are so many orchestras and musicians around the world under pressure in these days? In the Netherlands recent budget cuts begin to bite. Orchestras are closing down, musicians loose their jobs or do face severe pay cuts. The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has fired some musicians (mostly from Europe) without any explanation. In Italy orchestra musicians are by law not longer allowed to do additional work, to play gigs or chamber music, to teach pupils or to have masterclasses. In Spain the Liceu (Barcelona) has been trying to close doors for two months during the running season to save money. In Germany the South West Public Radio (SWR) wants to merge its two major orchestras (100 posts each) in Freiburg and Stuttgart. A couple of other German orchestras are facing cuts, too. There are more examples from the UK, the US and other countries.
Has anyone an explanation for these developments? Of course the local circumstances are very different. In some South European countries the financial crisis jeopardizes the arts budgts, too. But it’s not only a question of lack of money. The really scary thing is, that in most of these cases the artists, the musicians and sometimes even the managements are almost victims of incompetence of the board, the arts aministration or the politicians in charge.
Is there any insurance, any toolbox for a better perfomance during a crisis? One of course is the solidarity between the artists themselves. Another one is the efficient support from the audiences. A third component is the public opinion which is influenced by the media, more and more by social media like blogs, twitter and facebook. There is still a restraint to be observed how orchestras, managements and musicians use social media as well as lobbying tools to safeguard their own interests. Even a more active and sometimes agressive communication for the orchestra goals must be considered (see the pictured example from Serbia).
Those orchestras in which management and musicians stay together, work together and act together will be stronger and even more successfull than others. This needs confidence, respect, communication, participation and motivation. If there are front lines within the orchestra itsself, the battle will be lost.
On its European tour the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has got a very positiv feedback in autumn 2010. Some critics asked if the SSO could be one of the leading orchestras in the 21st century. SSO is one of the best orchestras in Asia yet.
Singapore Skyline
Indeed the success encouraged the SSO board and management to look forward to making next steps for the Champions League. The SSO plans ist way to catch up with other international accepted symphony orchestra, especially from Europe.
Therefore all relevant issues must be tackled: Pay rises for musicians esp. for rank and file players, longterm contracts for players, allowances for extremly increasing housing costs, improved longterm artistic planning, looking our for the generation of chief conductors and last but not least: coming home to the old Victoria Concert Hall (pictured) downtown Singapore in 2013/14 after refurbishment. The SSO needs its own hall back for being an orchestra of the people in Singapore, too. The Berlin Philharmonie building and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is a landmark for Berlin. The SSO should struggle forward to become a similar icon for Singpore in future.
Victoria Concert Hall - under refurbishment
Enhanced private giving and improved public funding will be the further top issues for the SSO board and the development department. However, future looks bright for the SSO and the chance to catch up with the Champions League of orchestras worldwide means hard artistic work but may be realistic within years.
On April 15, 2010, my book on orchestra management has been released in Germany. When I started working in the orchestra world, I asked many orchestra managers and insiders for a book like “Orchestra Management in a Nutshell”. But there was none of that.
After 20 years in the business and while teaching at two German universities and one conservatory on this subject I was asked to write this book. German speaking colleagues hopefully will appreciate it.
